Monumental blunder: we just witnessed a major mistake in the trade market with the acquisition of Kuznetsov by the Hurricanes

Historically, major trades at the trade deadline are not very rewarding. Since the introduction of the salary cap about 20 years ago, only four teams that traded a first-round pick at the deadline to acquire a player went on to win the Stanley Cup.

It's the prime time of the year for making mistakes, as GMs are under pressure to improve their team in the final stretch of the season.

Speaking of mistakes, the Hurricanes just made a significant one, and the Capitals are very fortunate. Firstly, the Ovechkin-led squad placed forward Evgeny Kuznetsov on waivers in the last few days, after which he was assigned to the American Hockey League.

We're talking about a player with a salary of 7.8 million per year and one year left on his contract. The Hurricanes just acquired him at 50% of the salary for a 3rd-round pick.


Breaking down the transaction, it's truly terrible from the Canes' perspective. They have to pay almost 4 million for the next year for a player whose performance has declined and who has some significant personal history, in addition to giving up a 3rd-round pick.

The Capitals were paying a player 7.8 million to play in the AHL. They should have paid to get rid of him, but they received a 3rd-round pick.

Let's hope for the Hurricanes that Kuznetsov will be able to offer them good services this year and next, or else this trade could age very poorly for them.